


You've got a friend in me

by Eversincefiveboys



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Liam Payne & Louis Tomlinson Friendship, M/M, The X Factor Era, i guess very much fictional, it was a prompt, liam's past, louis/liam friendship, not romantic - Freeform, requested one shot, there's a drunk part
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-01
Updated: 2015-03-01
Packaged: 2018-03-15 19:54:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3459953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eversincefiveboys/pseuds/Eversincefiveboys
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Liam has been rehearsing non-stop because he feels like he isn't good enough. Louis thinks he's too serious so they get into fights. Liam struggles with his past of bullying and eventually Louis talks to him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You've got a friend in me

**Author's Note:**

> This was a requested One Shot (requested by Emily).  
> I admit that it is definitely not the best I've ever written and I'm sorry if it sucks.
> 
> Please realise that it is not romantic, just friendship between Louis and Liam. Also I made up a lot of things, for one I don't think that there were parties during the week in the XFactor house and secondly I believe that the five guys didn't get into many fights. I also don't know any details about Liam's past, so !disclaimer!: Everything is fiction and I don't own anything.

 

They've been in the Xfactor house for three weeks now and Liam likes it a lot. He doesn't want to go, he doesn't want to lose this competition. He's been sent away before, when he was fourteen at judge's houses and he doesn't want to go through that again. This time is different than two years ago because now he isn't on his own. He's in this group with four other boys who can all sing amazingly and he thinks the other boys deserve a shot at the future. Liam believes in himself quite a bit, but not as much as he believes in the other boys. He knows the other boys can make it. He knows that one day those boys will fill stadiums, maybe together or maybe separately, but they will live their dreams. He isn't too confident about himself, though. He knows he can sing but he also knows he is not the best singer out there. He wants to do good, he wants to prove to himself and his family and friends that he can do it. That two years ago he was just too young and needed some practise. He wants to get through it this year, though. But he doesn't just want to win for himself, he wants to win for the other boys too. He needs to do his best, he can't stay behind or let the others down. He wants to do good for them, too. He feels like he needs to do better. If he wants to stay in this competition and give these boys a chance, he needs to practise more. So that is what he does. When the other boys go for some relaxation time, playing video games, calling the family or doing something with the other competitors, he goes to a quiet place and practises his songs. He stays up longer than the other boys - although he does hear Louis and Harry talking and giggling most of the time he goes to bed - just to practise. He wants to be perfect, he needs to be good.

The other boys know he takes it more serious than them. It is just as important to them to do well, but they also want to enjoy their time in the competition and have fun. They have a different mindset. Liam tries to understand that, he really does. They also try to understand him. And most of the time it works, Liam tells them to focus when things get out of hand and they listen. Most of the time. Louis is the hardest to handle. Liam clashes a lot with Louis. All the time, actually. Louis never listens, he just wants to live and have fun, not listen to anything Liam tries to say. Louis is always distracting the others, especially Harry. And Liam knows Louis wants to win this too, but he also really wants to have fun. And that is where it goes wrong. That is where they clash.

"Please, Louis, we need to go through this song once more," Liam pleads. They have been working for about two hours and everyone is losing focus. Louis has been poking Harry and whispering in his ear for the past ten minutes and it drives Liam mad. This song needs to be perfect. 

"You've been saying 'one more time' for the past half hour and I'm kinda sick of it to be honest," Louis sighs. 

"I know but we need to get this right," Liam replies, trying to not get angry. He always feels so angry when Louis talks back at him like that. He is just trying to keep the group working, to get them through this competition. He knows what it feels like to be kicked out and he doesn't want the other boys to feel that way. Honestly, Louis is so nerve-wracking. He can never just accept anything Liam proposes and he always needs to make a game out of everything. He doesn't get how serious it all is. It's a competition, not a game. It can decide their future. 

"We will get it right," Louis says calmly. 

"Not if we keep messing it up like this!" Liam tries really hard to not let the frustration be heard through his voice but he knows it is obvious, no matter how hard he tries he's never been good at hiding his feelings. Maybe that's why he was a lot left out in school. 

"Seriously, Liam. I think you need to let loose," Louis says, his voices raised a bit. Liam shakes his head at that, why can't Louis understand?

"We can't let loose! We need to work and work and work because we have to be the very best if we want to stay in this competition!" He has to do his best not to add "duh" after the sentence. Louis is so oblivious. 

"We're teenagers, for God's sake, we deserve to have some fun and relax," Louis says and Liam throws up his arms in frustration. 

"Why did you come to this competition if all you want to do is have fun and flirt with Harry?!" Liam can't help what he is saying, he just spits it out. He only realises what he has said seconds too late. Louis rolls his eyes and a blush creeps up Harry's cheeks. Niall's eyes are going from Liam to Louis and back, as if he is watching a tennis game. Zayn is standing calmly by Liam's side, just observing what's going on. 

"I do want to win, obviously, otherwise I wouldn't be here," Louis says, ignoring Liam's comment about Harry. "But I think we work very hard, and that what you want to do is too much. We need to relax and unwind as well, because otherwise we'll be exhausted by the time we need to perform. You know taking a break now and then is a lot better than keep going all the time, right? Everyone knows that." 

"I do take breaks!"   
Louis rolls his eyes again. "Your breaks are still you being all stiff and serious. You have to relax more, be yourself more. Be our friend and have fun! We've seen you do it once or twice and we liked that Liam, but then you decide that it's too much and that you cannot win this way so you crawl back into your shell and be all serious again. If that's what you wanna do, fine! But don't go all school-teacher on us. We're your friends, your bandmates, but you cannot tell us what to do or how to behave. So excuse me, but I need a break." And with that Louis grabs Harry's hand and marches out of the room before Liam can even say anything. Harry throws an apologising look at Liam but follows Louis anyway. A feeling of defeat and embarrassment rolls over Liam and he feels like he is about to cry. It feels a lot like how it did when he got bullied in school. Well he never actually got bullied, he just sort of got ignored and people always dismissed everything he said, didn't take him seriously. Like Louis right now. Liam looks helplessly at Zayn and Niall, who both shrug. 

"I don't want to pick sides, Li," Zayn says and wraps and arm around Liam's shoulder supportively. "But I really do need a break."   
Liam nods. "I get that, and I know I'm not the leader of the group and I know we're all in this together. Louis just really gets on my nerves." 

"I know, man," Zayn says sympathetically and squeezes Liam's shoulder. 

"I don't want to pick sides either," Niall says. "But I do think you're being too harsh. Not just to us but also on yourself. This is a once-in-a-life-time-experience, and I kinda think it's something you need to enjoy." He doesn't say it harshly but it still comes as a shock to Liam. The thing is, he can't afford to not work hard because if he lets loose than he won't do his best. And he needs to do his best in order to win this thing. He just isn't as good as the other boys. 

"Thanks guys. You know what? Just go and take a break and do what you guys want and we'll rehearse tomorrow, according to our planned schedule. I guess," Liam says and really all he wants to do is sink down to the floor and hide his face in his hands and cry. He doesn't want to realise that he is failing, again. He wants to do good this time. Zayn gives Liam's shoulder one more squeeze and Niall hugs Liam.

The two boys leave and Liam is left alone. He is angry, but not with the other boys. He is so damn angry at himself. Why can't he ever do things right? Why does he fuck up every tiny single thing he ever does? Why isn't he as good as the others and why does he feel so much pressure?

That night Liam stays in the rehearsal room even longer than all the other nights. He rehearses and practises and suddenly he can't remember the lyrics correctly and he spends an hour working on remembering the freaking lyrics to the stupid song. When he finally gets those into his head he is exhausted, but he hasn't even practised the rhythm correctly yet, so he does that for a while. He notices that he nearly falls asleep and then decides to go to bed because otherwise he will fall asleep in the rehearsal room anyway, so he goes to the smallest room in the house and climbs into his bed. Just before he closes his eyes he realises that even Harry and Louis aren't whispering anymore, so it must be really late.

Liam sleeps restlessly. His dream is terrible. It starts at judges houses two years ago. Simon doesn't say "i've got bad news", instead he says that Liam is through to the live shows. Then he discovers that he is only kept in because he can be the joke act. The act that everyone laughs at - the act that is there so people have something dumb to talk about. Then the dream changes into his school and everyone is laughing at him and saying that he sucks. Louis is there, pointing at him and singing:

"here comes Mr Serious, he can't even let loose. And he still sucks anyway, why does he even try."

Liam cries in the middle of the hallway of his school and then papers start falling from the sky. They're invitations to Liam's birthday party. People pick them up and smile at Liam.

"We'll be there," they say. Liam sits in his living room in his nicest clothes. The table is set for at least twenty people and the house is decorated festively. There are three cakes on the table, chocolate, apple and strawberry. This is the first year Liam gets to go to the bakery and pick out his cakes - he's too old for his mum making his cakes now. It's two o'clock, the party has officially started. People should be arriving by now. It's ten past two and Liam asks his mum to check if maybe there has been some accident on the roads and all traffic is blocked. It's quarter past two and Liam's heart breaks when his mum tells him with a sad smile that no, all roads are free, no traffic jams. It's twenty past two and Liam thinks that maybe the invitations were wrong, wrong date, wrong time, that should be it. So Liam checks the invitations but no, it's all correct and people should be here. It's half past two and Liam already cuts himself a piece of the chocolate cake to pass the time, when people will come he'll explain he was just really hungry. It's quarter to three and Liam brushes the tears off of his cheeks angrily, hating himself for even thinking that people would come to such a loser birthday party. It's three o'clock and Liam knows no one will come to his birthday party. It's ten past three and Liam calls to his mum and dad and sisters that they can come have some cake. It's quarter past three and Liam's mum is crying and tells him how sorry she is and that he doesn't deserve this because he is honestly the nicest boy out there. It's twenty past three and Liam shrugs his shoulders, forces a smile and says that it's okay. "More cake for me."

Liam wakes up to the sound of the alarm and he is so relieved that it was all a dream. In a way it wasn't of course, because it was a memory in his dream, but he knows that it wasn't actually all happening a second time around. He feels tears on his cheeks and quickly goes to the bathroom to take a shower and wash his face. He makes sure he washes the dream and the memory away as well.

That day Liam is even more agitated and nervous than before. He remembers Louis stormed out of rehearsal yesterday but that doesn't change much today. Liam keeps being the stiff, serious person he is. In the beginning everyone is rehearsing like they should but after a while Liam gets more annoyed than ever and he gets into a fight with Louis again.

"Seriously, Liam! You're complaining about nothing! We're all doing our best but rehearsing the song one million times isn't going to change anything. Besides, you're not our boss!" Louis sighs and crosses his arms over his chest.

"At least I'm trying to get us to win! All you're doing is playing around!" Liam throws back, trying really hard to keep his voice under control.

"We're a team, Liam. We're a band, for God's sake! We're supposed to make the decisions together!" Louis isn't trying to hide his anger and Liam understands him. He does. He gets that Louis wants to have some free time and relax and enjoy his time here, but Liam just can't afford it. He doesn't feel good enough about himself and he is directing his anger at people who don't deserve it. He wants to tell his friends that. He wants to tell them it's not them, he's just having problems with himself. But when he opens his mouth all that comes out is:

"Fine, just go and have fun, I'll rehearse on my own." Louis rolls his eyes and Liam hears the other boys sigh as well. Everyone is tired and everyone just wants the fights to stop.

"C'mon, Li. Take some time off," Zayn says, raising his eyebrows at Liam in attempt to convince the boy.

"I can't," Liam says, shaking his head.

"But you're one of the best singers we know! You also deserve some time off, honestly!" Harry says and Niall nods.

"There's a party tonight, just so you know, you're invited as well. Everyone in the house is. Don't drown yourself in rehearsing, come party with us," Niall offers and Liam plays the idea over in his head a few times. He can use a party, he really can. He doesn't drink because of his kidney, but that doesn't mean he can't enjoy himself. He thinks about it but then decides that no, in order to win this thing he needs to stay as focused as possible. So he waves the idea away.

"Maybe I'll pass downstairs for a bit," he says, because then he can still decide to go if he really wants to. "But now I want to rehearse and if you guys don't want to then I'll just continue alone."

"Fine," Louis says and walks over to the door. The other boys sigh and nod, they all don't feel like rehearsing anymore so they follow Louis. When everyone is out of the door except for Louis, Louis turns around.

"Honestly, Liam, I don't know what the hell happened to you when you were younger and what gave you such an inferiority complex, but you should really talk to it about someone. Because it's not just driving us insane, it's breaking you as well." Then he turns around and shuts the door behind him. Louis' words echo in Liam's ears for a few moments. It feels like someone added a huge weight on his shoulders and is forcing him to sit down. He walks over to the nearest chair and more or less collapses. Louis' words repeat themselves in his head and he feels tears trying to break free. He sees his empty birthday party, he feels the tears in his eyes when he looks at his family eating the cake but no friends are around. He feels his heart break again when he remembers how people used to laugh at him in school. For everything he did. People always had a reason to laugh at him. He feels the empty feeling catching him again, pulling at him and sucking him into the black hole of loneliness. He has never understood why he wasn't accepted, he still doesn't understand why he was never good enough. He has never really had friends and now when he has finally found four people who seem like they would accept him no matter what, he ruins it for himself. The lack of self-confidence and the pressure of his past make him doing things he doesn't want to do. He doesn't want to be such a jerk and he doesn't want to be controlling and serious. He honestly wants to have fun and he really wants to be friends - especially with Louis. He knows he is already accepted amongst Harry, Zayn and Niall and he knows Louis likes him too now and then. But he wants Louis to know the real him. He can be outgoing and fun, too. He can tell jokes and do things not according to rules. He can flirt, he can dance, he can be funny. He wants to show Louis that, he wants to tell him, but he can't because he also wants to win the competition and something inside of him keeps pulling at him and saying that he isn't good enough. The other boys are amazing compared to him and he needs to be able to keep up with them, he needs to be better. He needs to be good enough.

Liam rehearses that evening after dinner. He can hear everyone partying downstairs, having fun, relaxing. He rehearses though, he goes through the song so many times he will be singing it in his sleep. After two hours of rehearsing his throat is hurting a bit and he knows he needs to stop before he breaks his voice and won't be able to sing on Saturday. There's a knock at the door and before Liam can even answer it opens. Louis walks in with a wide smile on his face.

"Liam! Here you are! I've been looking for you!" His words are clear but the exaggerated happiness makes Liam aware that Louis is most likely drunk.

"Well you found me," Liam says and can't help but smile. He hasn't seen Louis smiling at him in a few days and he realises he has missed the friendship more than he thought.

"Why are you here, all alooone? You should go down and drink a bittt, it's a greaat party!" Louis pats Liam on his shoulder and ruffles his hair. Liam laughs.

"I can't drink. My kidney, remember?"

"Oh yeah, that's right. That sucks man," Louis says and suddenly he is hugging Liam. Liam returns the hug and giggles a bit into the older boy's hair. Louis is funny when he's drunk.

"But you can still come and party with us. There's no reason for you to be upstairs here; all on your own," Louis pulls out of the hug and frowns at Liam.

"I was rehearsing..." Liam wants to go downstairs and party and have fun, but he knows he isn't as good at singing as the other guys and he needs to work on his voice a little more. He also needs to sleep on time because he has to be fit on Saturday. But he remembers the angry and annoyed looks he got this morning and the morning before. He doesn't want to go through that all again, he doesn't want to have to fight with his bandmates again. Because it isn't about them, it's about him.

"Haven't you been rehearsing all day?" Louis asks and starts humming the song they'll sing this week. Liam nods. "But whyyyy? Why are you so extremely driven? You can sing better than any of us. Seriously man; have some more confidence in yourself," Louis says and drapes his arm around Liam's shoulder, walking him towards the door.

"But-" Liam tries to protest.

"Nothing to but about, mate. You're gonna have some fun tonight, because you've been way too serious for a long time now." Liam thinks about Louis’ words and wonders if Louis really means what he said about singing better than any of them. He knows he isn't any better, but he appreciates the fact that Louis tries to make him feel better. So he decides to stop thinking too much. He can rehearse tomorrow; his social life is important too. He nods at his drunk friend.

"Alright, show me that party," he says with a grin and Louis grins back.

"That's the spirit!" He still has his arm swung around Liam's shoulder and he leads his out of the door. They go down the stairs and Louis stumbles after a few steps. Liam is able to catch him and he can't help laughing.

"Maaaaybe I had a drink too much," Louis laughs and they go down the stairs more carefully this time.

There are loads of people scattered around the kitchen, but not half as much as there are glasses and cups and bottles spread around. Liam wonders how much alcohol in total is available at the party, and how much has been drunken already. He sees a familiar mop of brown curls standing at one of the counters talking to the blond bandmate. They've obviously both had way too much to drink, they're talking loudly, laughing and making gestures with their hands and arms to illustrate what they're saying. Harry notices Louis as soon as they've walked into the kitchen and he abandons Niall at once.

"Louu!!" He yells happily and walks over to Liam and Louis. "Where weeere you? I miss you!" Louis laughs and Liam joins him. He is already having fun and he hasn't been at the party for longer than two minutes.

"And how much exactly did you drink while I was gone?" Louis questions and ruffles the brown curls.

"I had to drink my misery without you away," Harry replies and pouts. Louis and Liam laugh even harder at that and Louis wraps his arms around Harry.

"Liiii!! You came! We thought you had run away or something!" Niall was making himself another drink but now walks over to the three boys to join them.

"Yeah I couldn't miss a party like this now, could I?" He smiles and Niall hands him the drink. Liam tries to object, but Niall won't take it back.

"Drink a bit, man," he says and pats him on the back in a friendly gesture but since he's drunk he doesn't know his real strength and it hurts Liam a bit.

"I can't; I've only got one kidney," Liam says and hands the drink to Louis who doesn't hesitate and takes a sip.

"Ohhh, I forgot about that. Sorrrrryy," Niall slurs. He goes back over to the counter and opens a new bottle of coke. He takes a clean cup and pours the coke in it. "Here you go," he says and hands Liam the drink. Liam accepts it gratefully.

"Thanks, man." He loves the fact that his friends still think about him, that Niall gives him a non-alcoholic beverage because he realises that Liam can't drink. His bandmates don't push him to drink alcohol, they didn't even push him to come to the party. But they do want him there, he can feel that and he realises that they're all his friends and he has been behaving horribly the past days. He needs to make it up to them.

"Listen, guys. I know you are all piss drunk right now but I just want to tell you that I'm sorry about being so stiff and serious all the time," he says and the boys nod at him.

"It's fine," Zayn says. "I mean it wasn't pleasant but I guess that without you we wouldn't have come this far. I mean of course we wouldn't because your voice is very important in our group, but I mean without you being so driven and tight we wouldn't have rehearsed enough."

"He's right, we need a serious side to the band as well," Harry nods.

"We still love you, Li. Don't worry," Niall says and wraps his arms around Liam, pulling him into a hug. Louis wiggles his eyebrows at Liam.

"I just love having fun, but you were probably right. Although I still think we can't rehearse twentyfourseven," he says. Liam nods over Niall's shoulder.

"Let's go parttyy!!" Niall suddenly yells and unwraps himself from Liam. He dashes out of the kitchen to the huge living room where blasting music is coming from. Zayn grabs Liam's arm and pulls Liam to the dancing mass. Liam doesn't protest and enters the living room where a whole horde of drunk people is dancing. He gets pulled into the middle of the group and people look at him expectantly, so he starts to dance. He moves on the beats of the music and gets lost in the sound. He's forgotten what it's like to fully enjoy what he's doing, he’s forgotten what it's like to have fun, to let loose. He dances and the people around him cheer and clap at him. Bodies move against him and he's sure he gets a few drops of alcohol spilled on his clothes but he doesn't care.

Suddenly he hears familiar voices close by him and he turns around to see his four band mates with smiles on their faces. "We knew you weren't the stiff person you pretend to be when we're rehearsing," Louis yells and pulls Liam out of the crowd to a little less busy corner of the room.

"I think I am both, serious when I need to and loose when I can," he agrees.

"There's nothing wrong with being a bit serious, though," Zayn assures him and then the five of them start dancing. Everything is alright now, Liam knows that and it feels amazing. He is happy and feels energised and he knows he still needs to work a bit on his voice and the song for Saturday, but right now that is so far away and all the pressure falls off of him.

 

It's Friday evening and tomorrow is the day that they have to show everyone how good they are. They've practised and rehearsed a lot this week and Liam knows that his four new best friends will all shine on that stage. He knows they'll do great, but he is scared he will let them down. He's scared he isn't as good as them - in fact he knows - and he really doesn't want to let them down. He doesn't want them to not be able to reach their goals just because he isn't good enough. So he rehearses more than ever before. He skips lunch and sings during the other breaks. He eats dinner as quickly as he can so he can go practise again.

He doesn't go to bed when he should - even though he is exhausted. He keeps practising and suddenly he realises that no matter how hard he tries, he will never be as good as the others. He will never fit in, he will never match. He bites his lip bitterly and tries to fight against the tears he feels welling up in his eyes. He bets his bandmates always had amazing birthday parties. He bets they've never waited for everyone to not show up, he bets they've never had to share the cakes with his family. He bets they've always fitted in everywhere, because why wouldn't they? They are amazing, and he is not. That's as simple as it gets. A tear escapes and slides down his cheek slowly. He thinks about all the times he's felt like this in school and he realises that there must have been a reason why no one wanted to be his friend. He knows it's childish to think but he can't help it. He starts to properly cry now. His body starts to shake, his breathing is uneven and sobs are escaping through his mouth. Tears glide down his cheeks as if it is a race to get to his chin and he hides his face in his hands. He feels like he did when no one showed up to his birthday party, he feels like he did when he didn't get through to the live shows two years ago. He feels broken and hurt and not good enough.

There's a knock at the door but he doesn't really registers it. Someone enters but he doesn't notice the sound of footsteps. He doesn't hear how the person slides down the wall and sits down next to him. He barely recognises that someone is touching him when an arm is wrapped around him. He looks up and sees two blue, friendly eyes looking at him with concern. He sees Louis' mouth move but it takes him a while to realise that he is speaking.

"Hey mate, what's up. What happened?" He asks and even though it's simple words, they mean so much to Liam. He realises then that Louis came to look for him, found him crying on the floor and went over to him to ask him what's wrong. He wrapped an arm around him to make him feel better and now he is still there. He isn't laughing at Liam, he isn't looking bored or annoyed. He is simply looking concerned and he really wants to make Liam feel better. And Liam feels it then, he looks at Louis' face and the worried expression and he feels the friendship. He can't really comprehend why and how, but he knows it's there and he knows he really feels it and he is so grateful.

"I...i just realised I'm not good enough for the group and I don't want to bring you guys down with me," he says after trying to stop crying. Louis looks surprised at that and even a little sad. "Don't you realise that the group is the five of us and nothing less or more? You're part of it and if anyone has the best and strongest voice, it is definitely you," Louis says, looking Liam in the eye intensely. Liam has to make the words sink in and he then shakes his head.

"That's not true though. I'm just not good enough, I've never been and I never will be. And I hate it," he says sadly.

"Where did you even come up with that bullshit?" Louis replies and Liam sighs. It's not bullshit, it just is the truth. "What happened, man? Tell me, I want to understand." Louis sounds so genuine and Liam knows that this is the friend he has always wanted and without thinking much he tells everything.

He tells Louis about how he always tried so hard but no one seemed to ever like or accept him. He tells about the years of bullying and he tells about the nights he spent crying. He tells about his birthday party, how he waited and waited and how no one showed up. He cries and tells Louis how he stills dreams about that day. And Louis cries with him and hugs him and tells him how horrible he thinks all that is. When Liam is done with his story Louis hands him a tissue and pats him on the shoulder.

"I don't know why you of all people ended up with a youth like that. You deserve much more than all that, because you are honestly one of the greatest people I've ever met. I know I've said some mean things about you but that was more because I was annoyed with how much you wanted to work, not because of you are. In terms of the person you are; you are the kindest, nicest, sweetest guy I've ever met," Louis says.

"Except for Harry," Liam interrupts him with a wink and Louis chuckles.

"That's a different case," he says. "But seriously, Li. From the moment I met you you've never been rude or mean to anyone, and you want the best for everyone. You only see the good in people and you have the biggest heart of all. I haven't know you for long but I know that much." Liam swallows and he can't stop the smile on his face. Louis' words mean so much to him, he can't believe that anyone sees him that way but he knows Louis means what he says.

"Thank you, Louis, for saying all of that," Liam says and Louis hugs him.

"And you know what?" Louis replies, pulling out of the hug so he can look Liam in the eyes. "You're gonna show the world. You're gonna show the world that you are the most amazing person there is. People are going to regret not going to that birthday party. You'll show them that they were all wrong. And you'll start by just being yourself and perform this Saturday. You're gonna start that song and everyone will realise that they've made a big mistake. They'll realise right there, that moment, that you'll fill arena's one day, you will be on red carpets and award shows, you'll feature in music videos, sell albums, break records and have the best life you can get. Even if we won't win this show, even if we don't stay together as a band, you're going to get big, Liam. You are going to get so big that not even a hundred cakes can satisfy the people at your birthday parties."

"Thanks, Louis. For everything, for being my friend."

And Liam knows now that that lonely and horrible birthday party is in his past. He knows that from now on he will have at least four best friends that will always come to his birthday party and eat all the cake with him. He knows that there will follow a lot of birthdays to which at least one of his bandmates will come, and those new memories will eventually overpower the old ones.

**Author's Note:**

> You can always send me prompts if you'd like :)


End file.
